asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether the decision to enter into production of the Tornado multi-role combat aircraft has now been taken by the British, German and Italian Governments.

Negotiations for launching full production are still continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what progress he has made in seeking the removal of the United States Polaris bases from Great Britain;(2) if he is seeking the removal of American Polaris bases from Great Britain; and, if so what progress he is making.

As our election manifesto says, starting from the basis of multilateral disarmament negotiations we will seek the removal of United States bases. The intention, of course, is to establish conditions in which we can all have a permament confidence in our security. We are pursuing several practical measures in the arms control and disarmament field, but we are still some way from establishing these conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's ability to meet the continuing obligations under the terms of the UK-USA Agreement of 1947.

Such matters are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the role performed by Territorial Army units in the Province.

The role of the TAVR throughout the United Kingdom is to complete the Regular Army's order of battle in war. The TAVR has no role in support of the security forces' operations in Northern Ireland, although as part of their training members of the TAVR do mount guard over their own centres.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, having regard to the large number of occasions on which Army bands have undertaken recording sessions during 1974 and 1975, he will list in the Official Report (a) the total sum of money distributed among the 31 directors of music in the Regular Army over that period from such activities, (b) the annual amount received by each director of music over that period, (c) in what form Army regulations stipulate that this information be recorded, (d) who is responsible for auditing such payments and (e) how frequently the commanding officer receives a report on the activities authorised by him and undertaken by an Army band together with the audited accounts.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 11th March 1976; Vol. 901, c. 314–5], gave the following information:The total sum of money distributed between 10 directors of music of the Regular Army who received recording royalties during 1974 and 1975 is as follows:

1974	1975
£ 1,577·26	£ 1,845·25

As recording royalties are not public moneys, it would be contrary to the practice of my Department to publish the amounts received by each director of music. Regulations require that profits from the making of recordings are treated as profits from paid military band engagements. The responsibility for the proper application of all funds in a unit, and the amount of such funds, rests with the commanding officer. Accounts, including accounts held on behalf of a band, are normally audited every six months. Control of the activities of a band, including engagements and recording sessions, are a matter for the commanding officer.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the skillcentre in Preston to be opened.

The Manpower Services Commission informs me that the Training Services Agency is planning for training to commence at the Preston skillcentre in summer 1977.

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many stoppages of work, because of industrial disputes, have occurred at the GLC Alsen Road site, London N7, since January 1972;(2) how many working days have been lost due to industrial disputes at the GLC Alsen Road, London N7, site since January 1972.

It is not my Department's practice to disclose information from the official statistics relating to a named building site.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the outcome of his consultations with the oil operating companies on the prospects for further platform orders in the near future.

I am today making a statement on the results of these consultations to a meeting in Glasgow of the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee and will be placing a copy in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to co-ordinate and integrate transport services.

The consultative document on transport policy has the need for co-ordination and integration as a major theme, and puts forward a number of specific proposals in respect of organisation and services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he expects that cummuter traffic to Milton Keynes will cause congestion on the Ml at junction 14.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to develop public transport to encourage British motorists to depend less on their cars.

The consultation document makes clear that an increasing pro portion of public expenditure on transport will be devoted to public trans port. It outlines proposals on a whole range of issues affecting the relationship between public and private transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost in 1976 of electrifying a mile of railway track.

The cost per mile of electrifying track depends on many factors including the size of the scheme, the number of bridges and tunnels needing alteration, and fluctuating costs of component materials. In the three most recent schemes the cost per mile at 1976 prices ranged from £278,000 to £440,000

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what evidence he has concerning the relative safety standards of part-time and full-time coach drivers; and what reply he gave to trade union leaders who recently expressed their concern on this matter;(2) if, in the light of evidence supplied to him by the hon. Member for Walsall, South, he will investigate the extent to which part-time drivers are employed on public service vehicles and exceeding maximum permitted driving hours, and take any necessary steps to curb this practice.

A note by Dr. Hunt of Cambridge published last year and studies by the Department of serious accidents in 1974 and 1975 do not indicate any significant difference between the accident rates of part-time and full-time coach drivers. I am considering, however, whether a further departmental study would be useful.The Traffic Commissioners propose in future to establish the amount of an applicant's driving experience in each of the previous three years before granting the renewal of a public service vehicle driving licence. In addition the Department is consulting interested organisations about a proposal that individual control books be introduced for drivers of certain classes of passenger vehicles so that the driver's hours regulations might be more effectively enforced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many professional staff in his Department are concerned with housing and construction; and how many are specifically concerned with housing management.

239 professional staff, including one Housing Management Adviser. The figure does not include staff in the Property Services Agency concerned with Crown properties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the cost to public funds of the consideration by the Traffic Commissioners for the South Eastern Traffic Area of the application by Waterhouse Coaches Limited, filed in October 1974, for a road service licence for a service of eight extended tours, involving a two-day hearing before the Commissioners in Eastbourne on 7th January and 7th March 1975, a public inquiry in Eastbourne on 8th December 1975, a 25 page report by the inspector, Mr. J. E. B. Finlay, dated January 1976, and his own decision made on 6th May 1976.

Additional costs specifically incurred by reason of the employment of the inspector in this case—i.e., fees, expenses, and the cost of typing his report—amounted to £543–24. How- ever, no apportionment is made of the time of staff in traffic area offices engaged on individual applications for road service licences or the time of staff in the Department engaged on individual appeals, so no overall costing for the particular case is practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the net assets of the National Bus Company on the latest available date.

The National Bus Company's annual report for 1975 shows net assets of £148,853,000 for the NBC and its subsidiary companies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what means of co-ordination he has for ensuring that the roadway from Wrexham to the M6 is improved uniformly on the English and Welsh sides of the border;(2) whether he will provide additional funds for improving that part of the Wrexham-M6 road link which lies in Cheshire.

The A534 is a local authority road for which Clwyd and Cheshire County Councils are the highway authorities. It is for the county councils themselves to decide the priority of individual schemes within their transport policies and programmes and to discuss jointly the arrangements for the programming of schemes which affect both counties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total revenue obtained from tolls paid on the Severn Bridge for the most recent year for which the figure is available; and what was the cost of collecting these tolls and the other costs of servicing the bridge, during that year.

In 1974–75 tolls amounted to £1,208,599, costs of toll collection were £153,691 and operating expenses and debt charges amounted to £1,657,536. Full details are published annually in the accounts laid before Parliament under the Severn Bridge Tolls Act 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the co-option of trade union representatives to sit and vote on council committees.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Government statement on industrial democracy in the public services made in the House on 11th February last by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Civil Service Department.—[Vol. 905. c. 240–1]

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of all moped riders in 1974 were travelling at a speed in excess of 30 mph when they were involved in a fatal or serious accident;(2) what percentage of 16-year-old moped riders in 1974 were travelling at a speed of 30 mph when they were involved in a fatal or serious accident.

I am afraid that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment by what method the Government monitor the expenditure of local authorities in relation to their budgeted forecast; which Departments have responsibility for such monitoring; at what frequency during the financial year it occurs; and in what way the conclusions are published.

The Government's information about total local authority current expenditure in 1976–77 is or will be obtained from: (1) the joint DOE/CIPFA return on spending intentions made originally in April 1976 and now to be revised by 16th July; (2) estimates of outturn expenditure to be made in the same return in April 1977; (3) final figures of outturn which will be returned in August 1977. Responsibility for interpreting these figures rests collectively with the Departments which are responsible for local authority services. There are also returns to Departments about expenditure on individual services. For capital expenditure authorities make quarterly returns to the Department of the Environment which are monitored by this and the other responsible Departments against the Government's published plans for local authority capital expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, when reviewing Government expenditure with a view to effecting economies, he will consider reducing the costs of the Government car pools now costing £750,000 and the £10,600 per annum per ex-Prime Minister for the use of Government cars.

The costs of Government car pools are constantly kept under review with a view to effecting economies where possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the abolition of chief rents.

I have been asked to reply.The Government are now considering the Law Commission's Report on Rent-charges (Law Com. No. 68), which was published on 9th October 1975 and recommends that, subject to certain exceptions, no new rentcharges should be created and existing rentcharges should be extinguished after a specified period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff are currently employed in each of the road construction units in England; how many of these are staff of his Department, and how many are seconded from local authorities in each case; how many of the staff of each road construction unit are employed in the headquarters, and how many in each of the operational sub-units; how these figures compare with those for 1974 and 1975; and what are the anticipated staffing figures for 1977.

The numbers of staff in post at 1st April of the three years in question are shown in the following table. Forecasts of 1977 staffing are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current total annual rent payable for leased Ministry of Defence headquarters buildings.

£3·15 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, following the decision by NATO to sever military links with South Africa, what is the full extent of links between South Africa and Great Britain; and if he will now terminate them all.

It is not possible to list the full range of contacts, which are chiefly in the field of civil trade, between Britain and South Africa. The Government have consistently expressed their total opposition to apartheid. We reimposed the United Nations embargo on arms supplies to South Africa and terminated the Simonstown Agreements on naval co-operation. But it is no part of our policy to terminate all contacts with South Africa. Quite apart from the damage that would do in other quarters, it would not assist those who most need our help.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the discussions which took place during the recent official visit of Princess Ashraf of Iran.

Princess Ashraf visited the United Kingdom from 8th to 12th June as a guest of Her Majesty's Government and had discussions with the Prime Minister, myself and a number of other Ministers, and the Leader of the Opposition. She was also received by Her Majesty the Queen and the Queen Mother, The Princess has an international reputation for her work in a number of fields, including world literacy, social welfare and women's affairs. Our discussions reflected her many interests and the friendly relations we enjoy with Iran. The details of our discussions are, of course, confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the United Kingdom-United States of America Agreement in the Library.

It is not Her Majesty's Government's practice to make available copies of confidential arrangements with other Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much personal injury insurance is given to policemen by their constabularies; how this varies between single and married men; and how much insurance money is paid in damages to policemen for personal injuries per annum.

The Police Pensions Regulations provide for the payment of a pension to the widow of a policeman killed in the course of his duty or to a police officer who has to retire as a result of an injury sustained on duty. Police authorities do not normally provide additional insurance cover at public expense.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought in each of the last 24 months for which records are available against the drivers of vehicles during darkness hours on streets without lighting; how many and what percentage of these prosecutions were successful; and what penalties were imposed.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to extend the use of Community Service Volunteers in (a) the prison service and (b) the probation service.

There are no plans at present to extend the use of Community Service Volunteers in prison service establishments because of the current constraints on public sector expenditure. The use of such volunteers by the probation service is a matter for individual probation and after-care committees but in the present economic situation the opportunities for extending their use must be limited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to reduce the strain upon prison officers resulting from added travelling at unsocial hours in consequence of the failure to reach agreement on the acceptance of the three new residential blocks for officers at Holloway Prison.

Fares and an allowance for excess travelling time are paid to those officers who live in temporary accommodation away from the prison. Special transport arrangements may be made when necessary. If extra staff have to be called in outside the normal scheduled hours, officers living nearer the prison are used when possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what additional transport and overtime costs he has incurred to date in each financial year since the buildings were originally due to be occupied as a result of the failure to accept delivery of the three new residential blocks for prison officers at Holloway;(2) how many officers will be accommodated in the three new residential blocks at Holloway Prison; and if he will give the dates when the blocks were due for completion and were claimed by the builders as ready for occupation;(3) why he has refused to accept delivery of the three new residential blocks for officers at Holloway Prison; and what action is now being taken.

The new staff quarters at Holloway Prison consist of seven residential blocks, which will accommodate 230 staff. The contract provided for the first block to be completed by December 1972 and the remainder by October 1973, subject, as is customary, to extensions of time in specified circumstances. Certain extensions of time have been agreed with the contractor and others are under consideration. The accommodation has not yet been taken over, principally because of evidence of water penetration. Measures necessary to remedy this defect have now been determined and will be put in hand. Additional transport and overtime costs incurred because of delay in completion of the accommodation by the dates specified in the original contract are: 1973–74, £1,767; 1974–75, £33,652; 1975–76, £34,692.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many houses, flats, and rooms, and from what dates, he has rented or bought to provide temporary accommodation for prison officers employed at Holloway Prison pending occupation of the three new residential blocks, and at what cost to date in each relevant financial year.

The accommodation listed below has been acquired to house staff at Holloway pending occupation of the seven new residential blocks:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the estimated cost of the three new accommodation blocks for prison officers at Holloway Prison; whether any payment has been made on account to the builders or developers pending completion; and, if so, when, and how much;

The principal building contractors for the seven blocks of residential accommodation for staff at Holloway Prison are Higgs and Hill Building Ltd., and the current estimate of final cost, excluding measures to remedy water penetration, is £1,738,000. It would not be in accordance with normal practice to provide details of payments made on account.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what were the gross and net values of invisible exports in 1975;(2) how many countries have greater earnings on invisible exports than the United Kingdom;(3) what percentage of Great Britain's total foreign earnings is represented by invisible exports;(4) what percentage of Great Britain's import bill is represented by her earnings on invisible exports;(5) what was the value of invisible exports of insurance in 1975, dealing with Lloyds, brokers and insurance companies, respectively;(6) how much was earned by invisible exports in the first quarter of 1976;(7) if the earnings of invisible exports in the first quarter of 1976 are greater than that in the first quarter of 1975; and, if so, by how much in actual and percentage terms;(8) how much was earned by private invisible earnings in the first quarter of 1976;(9) if the earnings of private invisible exports were greater in the first quarter of 1976 than in the first quarter of 1975; and, if so, by how much in actual and percentage terms.

In 1975 gross invisible exports were approximately £11,000 million and our net invisible earnings £1,500 million. As far as is known from the latest—1974—available data, only the United States has greater gross invisible receipts than the United Kingdom. Net invisible earnings repre- Sented 37 per cent. of gross current account earnings in 1975 and 35 per cent. of gross current account payments.The value of the invisible earnings of the United Kingdom insurance industry in 1975 is not yet known. Net invisible earnings in the first quarter of 1976 were £410 million, which is £26 million, or 7 per cent. more than in the first quarter of 1975. Net earnings from private sector services, including certain public corporations, plus private sector investment income and transfers, totalled £870 million in the first quarter of 1976, which is £144 million, or 20 per cent. more than in the corresponding quarter of 1975.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those trades union officials whom he met on 24th May to discuss the implementation of the child benefit scheme.

No. The discussion was private.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those trades union officials who are currently members of the National Economic Development Council.

Representatives of the TUC on the Council are:

• Mr. L. Murray, General Secretary of the TUC.
• Lord Allen, General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
• Mr. D. Basnett, General Secretary of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.
• Mr. J. L. Jones, General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union.
• Mr. D. McGarvey, General President of the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers, Shipwrights, Blacksmiths and Structural Workers.
• Mr. H. Scanlon, President of Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report those grants and loans which have been received or are fully committed by British undertakers from the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the European Investment Bank, the European Coal and Steel Community and the Guidance Section of the European Farm Fund since Great Britain's entry into the EEC.

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a taxpayer who requires weekly treatment on a home-based kidney machine and is also in receipt of attendance allowance is permitted to claim any deduction against income tax in respect of the wages of any nurse or other qualified helper who necessarily has to be present throughout the working of the machine either (a) to the full extent of the wages or (b) to the extent that they exceed the attendance allowance; and, if not, what action he proposes to take.

Expenses of this kind are not allowable for income tax purposes. Provision for sickness and disablement is already made through the social security system.

	1974	1975
	£ million
1. Overseas investment in United Kingdom public sector (excluding public sector borrowing under the exchange cover scheme)	250	45
2. Overseas investment in United Kingdom private sector:
direct	797	539
investment in United Kingdom company securities	134	32
oil and miscellaneous	1,288	908
	2,469	1,524

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will give a decision about Customs charges for official attendance outside normal working hours.

The system of Customs charges for official attendance outside normal working hours is under review. I am not yet able to give a date for the outcome but hope to do so later in the year. An interim increase in the charges has been authorised from 1st July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set up an inward investment board; and how many countries have this type of board.

Inward direct investment which contributes substantially to our economy is generally welcomed. We have adequate powers and interdepartmental arrangements for seeing that, in any particular case, the national interest is safeguarded. I see no need to create new machinery.Most other industrialised countries have arrangements for monitoring and screening inward investment proposals and some have comprehensive powers similar to our own, but so far as I am aware only three or four of them have institutions which might resemble the type of board suggested.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what foreign investment came into Great Britain in 1974 and 1975; and into what areas.

Data for the United Kingdom are set out in the table below. Corresponding figures for Great Britain alone, or for its component areas, are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of collecting VAT during the latest 12-month period for which figures are available.

It is estimated that the cost of collecting VAT in the financial year 1975–76 was about £70 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow claims for purposes of income tax relief by students on correspondence courses in respect of their fees and postal expenses.

No, I could not Justify a departure from the normal rule that personal expenses not directly connected with earning income are not allowable for tax purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the estimated gross domestic product per capita for Wales, Scotland and England, respectively, for the most recent available year.

Following are the latest available estimates:

Gross domestic product per capita, 1974
Wales	…	…	£1,030
Scotland	…	…	£1,176
England	…	…	£1,321

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide guidance to the Bank of England to enable the latter to monitor more effectively the conduct of secondary banks in relation to the provision of social mortgages.

I do not believe that this would be the most appropriate way to prevent abuses in the provision of second mortgages.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what overseas foreign borrowing were repaid by nationalised industries and by local authorities in the period since 1st March 1974; and what has been the difference in sterling terms between

			£ million at exchange rates prevailing at the end of the month when loans were taken out	£ million at exchange rates at close on 18th June
Local authorities	…	…	540	750
National Coal Board	…	…	180	230
Electricity Council	…	…	860	1,370
South of Scotland Electricity Board	…	…	140	180
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board	…	…	100	130
British Gas Corporation (and Gas Council)	…	…	380	500
Post Office	…	…	730	960
British Steel Corporation	…	…	460	570
National Water Corporation	…	…	180	230

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd June 1976; Vol. 913, c. 550], gave the following information:Since March 1974, seven foreign currency loans to the United Kingdom public sector have been repaid. Six of these, raised by Derbyshire County Council, the GLC and the Gas Council, were under the 1969–71 exchange cover scheme, and an uncovered loan to BEA was also repaid. These loans were together equivalent to nearly £60 million when they were taken up, between August 1969 and April 1971, and to over £120 million when they were repaid on dates between August 1975 and April 1976.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, further to the Question of the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit), 15th June 1976, Official Report, c. 102, he will list, expressed in sterling terms, the total sum of outstanding overseas foreign currency borrowings for each nationalised industry and for local authorities as a whole: (a) calculated on the basis of the exchange rates prevailing at the end of the calendar month in which each loan was made, and (b) calculated on the basis of the exchange rates prevailing at the close of business on 18th June 1976.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd June 1976; Vol. 913, c. 550], gave the following information:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total number of staff currently employed by his Department; and how many of these are located in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, respectively.

The number of staff employed in the Treasury at 1st June 1976 was 1,124, all of whom were employed in England.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the Inland Revenue Inspectorate or the Inquiry Branch follows up all anonymous advice that an individual or a company may be under-declaring his or its taxable income.

All seemingly worthwhile information received is followed up.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many claims for criminal injuries to property are still outstanding for each of the years 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.

The number of claims outstanding for criminal injuries to property compensation under the Criminal Injuries Acts (Northern Ireland) 1956–71, are as follows:

1972	…	2,074
1973	…	2,785
1974	…	4,271
1975	…	4,447
Total	…	13,577

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the

	Number of days
	Same day	1	2	3	4	5	6
Number of Questions	25	8	10	31	21	37	33
	Number of days
	7	8	9	10	11	13	14
Number of Questions	3	6	4	3	1	3	1

There are 231 non-industrial and 12 industrial United Kingdom civil servants currently employed in the Northern Ireland Office, of whom 94 are stationed in Belfast and 149 in London. In addition there are 981 Northern Ireland civil servants employed in the Northern Ireland Office and based in Belfast.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will disclose the amount of profit or loss to the Northern Ireland economy to date, which has resulted from the contract between the Pigs Marketing Board (Northern Ireland) and the Japanese;(2) if he will disclose the anticipated profit margin which the Pigs Marketing Board (Northern Ireland) hoped to realise from the contract to supply pigmeat to Japan when the contract was signed.

This is a matter for the Pigs Marketing Board (Northern Ireland).

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Questions, not designated W, were tabled to him in the first four months of 1976; and how many days elapsed in each case before they were answered.

Excluding those for oral answer, a total of 186 Questions not designated W were tabled between 12th January and 29th April this year. The number of days which elapsed between the appearance of a Question in the Order Paper and the provision of an answer were as follows:

asked the Minister for Overseas Development if he will list the names and previous occupations of all those appointed to the public bodies for which he is responsible.

Mr. J. G. Cuckney holds the full-time appointment of Senior Crown Agent and Chairman of the Board of Crown Agents. His previous occupation was Chief Executive, Property Services Agency, Department of the Environment. All the other appointments within my responsibility are of a part-time nature. I regret that information regarding them is not readily available and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has given to the colleges of education about the criteria to be employed in selecting from among the applicants when allocating the restricted number of places now available in the colleges for the forthcoming academic year.

The colleges have been told it is considered essential, in selecting students for secondary training, to give priority to applicants in subjects where the national supply of teachers is short and that students already following courses of higher education under the special recruitment scheme should be admitted to teacher training if they are judged to be suitable for it, regardless of the subjects in which they wish to take a teaching qualification.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider the limitations on places available in the other colleges of education in Scotland if the present occupation of Moray House, Edinburgh, by the students persists throughout the summer thus making any administration and admission of students to Moray House impossible.

No difficulty is expected to arise over admissions next session to courses at Moray House College of Education.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals for setting up community law centres in Scotland.

The Government have been willing to provide grant assistance towards the setting up of centres, where proposals are put forward on local initiative.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies have been undertaken by the Scottish Office to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of concrete safety barriers on Scottish roads.

The Transport and Road Research Laboratory is currently engaged in a study of concrete safety barriers and the Scottish Development Department is keeping in touch with this.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now received Glasgow District Council's scheme for the establishment of community councils; and when he expects to confirm approval of its proposals.

Yes. The scheme, along with outstanding representations from the public including a number made since its submission, is receiving careful consideration. I am sorry it is not possible at this stage to indicate when approval might be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the full accident statistics, including the number of drivers injured, relating to invalid tricycles with manual gear box, automatic transmission, electrically propelled tricycles and four-wheeled vehicles, respectively, in Scotland for the six months ended 31st March 1976.

Following is the information:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost in salaries and fees of the paid public appointments for which he is responsible that are referred to in pages 85 to 101 of the Civil Service Department publication "A Directory of Paid Public Appointments made by Ministers"; and if he will list the names and previous occupations of all those appointed to those public bodies.

The estimated annual cost is £682,000. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 26th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. White)—[Vol. 912, c. 264.]—with regard to the present appointees. Previous occupations of these appointees could only be listed at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the functions, constitution and organisation of the Prescription Pricing Authority were last changed; and if he is satisfied with its present working.

The functions and organisation of the Prescription Pricing Authority—and its pre-1974 predecessor, the Joint Pricing Committee—have been largely unchanged for the past 20 years. The authority's membership is, however, smaller than the committee's. As I said in

AHA							Recommended Interval (Weeks)	Usual Interval (Weeks)
Bury	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10
							(Special cases seen more often)
Oldham	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10–11
Manchester	…	…	…	…	…	…	12	12
							(Reduced interval where felt to be desirable)
Rochdale	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10–12
Stockport	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	9
Lancashire	…	…	…	…	…	…	10	10
							(Reduced interval where felt to be desirable)
Tameside	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	12
Trafford	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10
Wigan	…	…	…	…	…	…	10	11–12
Oldham	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10–12
Bolton	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	8–12
							(Reduced interval where felt to be desirable)
Salford	…	…	…	…	…	…	8	10–12